


lay my heart down with the rest at her feet

by HeartonFire



Category: Daredevil (TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Emotional Constipation, F/M, Post-Season/Series 02, Reunions, Use Your Words
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:03:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26870350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeartonFire/pseuds/HeartonFire
Summary: Frank knew it was a bad idea, to go by Karen’s place. He knew she didn’t want to see him. He didn’t want her to want to see him.But he had been dreaming about her for months. Almost every night since that day in the hospital, Karen Page haunted him.
Relationships: Frank Castle/Karen Page
Comments: 20
Kudos: 78





	lay my heart down with the rest at her feet

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is one I found while doing [this WIP title game](https://heartonfirewrites.tumblr.com/post/631272802416312320/wip-title-game) after [myletternevercame](https://myletternevercame.tumblr.com/) tagged me in it. It was already finished, but I'm 99% sure I never posted it? If I did, and I just don't remember my own work (which is completely possible), please let me know. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this, my first Kastle fic in months, which was written over a year and a half ago and then promptly forgotten.

He’s seen her in his dreams. Almost every night since that day in the hospital, Karen Page has haunted him.

Frank tried to ignore it. He really did. He pushed it down. Pushed it away. Just like he did to her. For months, he pretended his dreams weren’t happening. That he didn’t feel that stab of pain every time he woke and remembered she wasn’t there.

But every flash of blonde hair in a crowd, every woman in a pencil skirt, every cup of bad diner coffee, everything reminded him of her.

He can’t stop replaying their last meeting in his head. The hurt in her eyes when he told her he didn’t want to love someone else. The understanding when he told her she couldn’t come with him. That moment when they might have finally had  _ their moment _ .

But they didn’t. It was his fault, and now, Karen Page is everywhere he looks, awake or asleep.

Finally, exhausted, wrung out, at the end of his rope, Frank takes the chance to walk by her building. The pot of roses is nowhere to be seen. The windows are dark. She isn’t home. He checks his watch, but Karen was always one to stay late at work. Since she started back to working with Murdock, he has to wonder if she’s gone back to him in other ways, too.

He told her to. He knew how much it would hurt to say it, and he told her to do it anyway. If she’s with Murdock, good. Karen always deserved someone good. Someone better. 

He leans against the wall across the street from her building, hood over his face, and waits for her. Couldn’t hurt to make sure she gets home safe. He can handle that.

The sun is down by the time he spots her, walking alone, in those shiny black heels of hers. He never asked why she was barefoot, that day. He didn’t have time. They’ve never had enough time.

It’s dark and chilly, but the streetlight lights Karen’s blonde hair like a halo. Frank doesn’t need another reminder that she’s an angel. He’s known that for a long time.

And that angel has a .380 in her bag for anyone dumb enough to mess with her. From the look on her face, it wouldn’t take much to set her off. It’s not a good idea to approach her right now.

Frank’s feet start to move anyway. He couldn’t stay away if he tried.

She isn’t looking his way, but her eyes catch his when he’s a few yards away. A frown creases her forehead when she sees him, when she realizes who it is, coming towards her. She stops walking, crossing her arms over her chest.

Her expression is wary. He sees her look him over for injuries. He has a few bruises, still has all the scars, but nothing like the last time she saw him. Frank is sure he doesn’t imagine the glimmer of relief in her eyes, though it fades almost instantly.

“What are you doing here?” she sighs, sounding tired.

Frank can’t answer immediately. He hasn’t seen her in a while, outside his dreams, and he had almost forgotten how breathtakingly beautiful she really is. Pale skin, blonde hair, those deep blue eyes.

“Frank?”

Blinking, Frank forces himself to form words. “Uh, I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Karen’s eyebrows shoot up. “Excuse me?”

“I wanted to check in. See how you were.” As the words tumble out of his mouth, he knows it’s the wrong thing to say.

Karen clenches her eyes shut, letting out a long, slow breath. “And why would you want to do that?”

Frank stares at her. He can’t tell her that he’s been dreaming about her for months and hoped that seeing her would make it stop. Make him whole, in whatever way is even possible for him now.

She sighs again, glancing at her watch. “I’m late, so if you want to talk, you might as well come in.”

She doesn’t smile, doesn’t reach for him. She just looks at him, waiting for him to decide. It doesn’t exactly feel like she wants him to say yes, but Frank has come this far. Even if she kicks him out later, it’s worth it to spend a little time with her one last time. He nods, and she leads him upstairs, unlocking the door and locking it again behind them.

“Make yourself comfortable. I need to change.”

“Going out?”

She pauses at the door to her bedroom, eyes flashing. “Yeah. I am.” Her chin juts out, like she’s daring him to say something else.

“Good.”

Her shoulders slump and Frank sees something on her face, something that looks like it might be disappointment. Before he can say anything else, she disappears into the bedroom. Frank leans against the counter. She doesn’t close the door.

“Did you have something you needed to say to me, Frank?” Her voice is clipped, cold. He deserves it. He knows that.

He does have something he needs to say. But not like this. Not now. He should have said it months ago. Years ago. Before the hospital. Before the hotel. He tried. He keeps trying. But it always comes out the same.

_ Stay away from me. _

_ I have to keep you safe. _

_ You can’t come with me. _

It all means one thing. One thing he hasn’t said in a long time. One thing that he’s afraid will be a curse, if he says it, if he puts it out into the universe.

“Frank?” Karen’s head pokes around the corner of the door. She’s in a dark blue dress that hugs her curves. “Are you okay?”

He nods. He shakes his head. Karen steps into the room. Her feet are bare. He’s back in that hospital room. He has to say it.

He can’t. He can’t risk her.

“Frank, if you have something to say, then say it. I’m running late.”

“It doesn’t matter,” he mumbles. It doesn’t. Not really. She doesn’t want to hear this. Not now. “Have fun on your date.”

He’s halfway to the door when he feels her hand on his arm. The touch makes him freeze where he stands. 

“I never said it was a date.” He glances at her and there’s a shadow of a smile on her face. Frank grabs onto that and tries to get the words out.

“I missed you,” he blurts, and the smile grows. Frank ducks his head, cheeks burning. “I’m sorry, I should go.”

“Frank,” Karen says, fingers tightening around his wrist. “I missed you too.”

When Frank looks at her, her eyes are shining at him, bright and clear, just like he remembered in all of his dreams. Her hand is warm and soft against his skin. He never touched her, in those dreams. Frank swallows and makes a decision. No going back now.

“Karen. Please, stay.” His voice is a croak, and it’s still not what he wants to say, but he hopes she knows what he means. She squeezes his arm and nods.

“Okay.”

“Okay?” Frank can’t believe what he’s hearing. She’s all dressed up, ready to go out. She should kick him out, send him away. He can't even say what he needs to say to her, and she's letting him in. Just like she always does.

Karen tugs on his hand, leading him back into her apartment, almost shy. “Okay.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you liked it. I'm feeling surprisingly inspired after that game, so there might be more things coming soon from my pile of abandoned WIPs I've just revisited. Maybe. If my brain and the world continue to cooperate. <3


End file.
